BJP, Left target Govt on price rise and economy

New Delhi: The Opposition tore into the Government's claims that all efforts were being made to bring down prices and control inflation during the discussion on price rise in Parliament on Thursday.

Opposition MPs including Communist Party of India's (CPI) Gurudas Dasgupta, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj and Samajwadi Party MP Rewati Raman Singh blamed the Government for not taking enough steps to control spiralling prices even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee argued that the situation was not as bad as it was being projected by the Opposition.

Sushma said, "It is the wrong government policies that is leading to price rise and the government is taking loans to handle the situation."

The BJP also blamed graft and mismanagement and cited Montek Singh Ahluwalia's admission to CNN-IBN of miscalculating on inflation. Sushma Swaraj also said the aam admi continues to deal with high prices.

Earlier the CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta set the terms of the debate by attacking the government on price rise.

Dasgupta said, "Due to capitalism, we are heading to a recession."

Sushma also pointed out that the infrastructure sector development has taken a back seat.

Taking a dig at Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who has been educated at Harvard University, Sushma said, "The Indian economy cannot be understood by a Harvard pass-out and they cannot give a solution to the Indian economy."

The Opposition also pointed out that the wrong procurement policy is adding to woes.

Sushma also brought farmers' plight into the picture and said, "The situation of farmers remains the same. Thirteen cotton farmers have committed suicide in 72 days in Maharashtra."

"The FDI in retail would have affected the poor Indian farmers and retailers adversely and the daily wagers would have lost employment," argued Sushma.

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